g he heard the plug of the puck landing in the wire
cage which he was especially set to guard, and knew that another
tally had been added to Scranton's growing score.

The conditions had changed, and the shoe was now on the other foot.

Thanks to the fine playing of Nick Lang Scranton was now ahead, and
it seemed extremely doubtful whether Belleville would have another
chance to make a single tally. The boys were plainly disconcerted by
the excellent work of the substitute, and seemed to have lost much of
that aggressive spirit so absolutely necessary in ice hockey in order
to win games. They played almost sullenly, as if realizing that it
was all over but the shouting.

Vain were the efforts of Captain Kramer to put new life in his
followers. He himself fought more desperately than ever, and once
even succeeded in taking the puck away from the triumphant Nick, the
only one who attained that glory; only to lose it immediately
afterwards to Owen Dugdale, who transferred it to Stevens by way of
Hobson; and then it plunged into the cage, despite Leonard's mad
attempt to stay its swift flight.

"Who's this you Scranton boys have thrown into the game?" demanded
one chagrined Belleville gentleman, as he saw what a radical change
Nick's coming had made in the affair on the ice rink. "He plays
suspiciously like a certain Canadian I saw last winter, who set
everybody in New York City wild with his work. Is Jean La Rue
visiting anybody in Scranton; and have you rung him in on us to-day,
to send our poor chaps down to defeat?"

"Don't you believe it, Mister," chortled a boy standing near by,
whose jersey was decorated with the letters "S. H. S.," standing, of
course, for Scranton High School. "That fellow is only our Nick
Lang, who was born and brought up in our home town. The place was
never proud of that face until this great day, because Nick, you see,
has been the worst boy ever known in Scranton. Why, his escapades
would take a week to tell you. He used to be the terror of
everybody, the bully all boys feared and shunned. But it seems like
Nick has turned over a new leaf. Folks didn't all believe in his
change of heart; but after to-day, say, Nick could own the whole town
if he was so minded. I'd give a heap if I was standing in his shoes
this same day. He'll be a hero, as sure as he used to be the town
scapegrace!"

It was just that way up to the time the referee signaled that the
last half of the game h